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COMMENDING BROCK’S GAP INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL, HOOVER CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM, AS STATE NOMINEE FOR THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 2014 GREEN RIBBON SCHOOL AWARD

WHEREAS, the Alabama State Board of Education recognizes the importance of saving energy, reducing costs, creating environmentally sustainable learning spaces, and protecting health and fostering wellness for Alabama students; and

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Education recognizes those schools in the nation that are striving to achieve an energy-efficient and healthy school environment with the Green Ribbon School Award; and

WHEREAS, Brock’s Gap Intermediate School in the Hoover City School System has been nominated for the Green Ribbon School Award for its innovation to improving its environmental impact and energy efficiency and environmental and sustainability education; and

WHEREAS, Brock’s Gap Intermediate School is a new school but due to an effort to alleviate overcrowding, the city system implemented a building realignment and “recycle building” plan and at the heart of the plan was a new intermediate school that was recycled from the old R.F. Bumpus Middle School; and

WHEREAS, Brock’s Gap Intermediate School has positively challenged its students by conducting online research, creating Web sites, maintaining blogs, assembling multimedia presentations, producing videos, using global-positioning-system devices and other nature apps to acquire scientific data, and manipulating various technological equipment to acquire and record knowledge and understanding; and

WHEREAS, Brock’s Gap Intermediate School Administrators and stakeholders realize that simple efficiency measures in the use of technology are needed to save energy, resources, and the environment; and

WHEREAS, as existing hardware wears out, Brock’s Gap Intermediate School is planning to replace its desktop computers with hand-held personal devices, which function without hard drives with processing done by servers and use less energy, and consequently, emit less heat, which, in a room of 30 or more machines, has the effect of lessening air-conditioning costs from kick-on systems; and

WHEREAS, Brock’s Gap Intermediate School has Future plans for green technologies include the ability to look at real-time usage of power, water and gas (sub-metering) as well as the utilization of energy management software; and

WHEREAS, these added green technologies will be vital in providing essential information so BGIS can best focus its attention and resources on students; and

WHEREAS, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has announced three Alabama schools as 2014 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Sustainability Awardees, and the schools will be recognized on July 22, 2014, in Washington D.C.; and

WHEREAS, for three years Alabama schools have been recognized by the USDE Green Ribbon Schools program:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Alabama State Board of Education does hereby commend Brock’s Gap Intermediate School for its commitment to environmental awareness and education and expresses its congratulations to the students and educators of Brock’s Gap Intermediate School and the Hoover City School System.